Blue Mountain Expansion
by Derailed
Summary: With The Blue Mountain Quarry Expanding, the Fat Controller buys and restores some engines.
1. Intro letter

Dear Readers

Recently, the Blue Mountain Quarry has expanded and began shipping more stone, slate and gravel to more places. With this expansion, the Fat Controller needed to bring in more wagons and engines. There have been some bumps in the road. Paxton lost his temper…but I shouldn't tell you anymore or I shall spoil the first story.

The Author


	2. Hot Under the Cover

Hot under the Cover

The Blue Mountain Quarry was expanding. More blasting was going on and with that, there were more trucks needed and longer trains were called for. Paxton, the diesel shunter was racing to and fro, hauling trains double the length of a normal train, wearing his engine down. As stones were cleared away, the men laid standard and narrow gauge sidings around the gravel chute and making a small yard of standard gauge lines around Owen and around the slate loading depot.

The longer trains were taking it's toll on Paxton. Every night, he rolled into a small shed at the quarry, red in the face and nearly overheated. This was worrying to all the engines. It was two weeks later that Luke brought this to the Thin Controller's attention and he brought it to the Fat Controller's attention.

"I'll see what I can arrange," the Fat Controller said.

Checking his engine roster, he found that Neville, James and Bear were not scheduled for any duties for the next two weeks. He made the arrangements and went to the sheds the next morning.

"James, Bear and Neville, I need you to help Paxton at the Blue Mountain Quarry. With the expansion, Paxton has been rushed off his wheels and taking longer trains, which isn't doing his engine any good. Now, you'll be helping out until I can get some more engines, possibly six engines to be permanently stabled at the quarry," the Fat Controller said.

The engines agreed. Once the Fat Controller turned away, firelighters arrived and started fires in James and Neville's fireboxes and a diesel mechanic got Bear started up. Once all three engines were prepared, they were coupled together with Neville leading, James in the middle and Bear bringing up the rear. A single lamp was placed in the center of Neville's buffer beam indicating the three engines were running "Triple light engine".

The three engines reached the quarry, to see the wagons of tracks and cranes around the yard as well as empty and loaded trucks. Paxton was racing here, there and everywhere, fetching this flatbed, shunting this wagon to be loaded and moving the loaded wagon to another siding.

"Good glory," Neville said.

The shunter on duty uncoupled the three engines and Neville began shunting the loaded trucks together for a train to the harbour. As there was no turntable, Neville and James would have to run tender first, but at slower speed. Bear didn't mind since he had cabs at either end.

While the mainline engines helped Paxton with the workload and with the quarry expansion, the Fat Controller contacted scrap yards on the mainland to find engines to help out. They had told him they didn't have any engines left. However, when he phoned the last scrap yard on the mainland, they said that they had six engines that they never got around to breaking up.

"What are their classes?' the Fat Controller inquired.

"British Railways Standard class 3 mogul tender engine, LMS Ivatt Class 2 mogul that was transferred from Barry Island Scrapyards, LNER V2 class 2-6-2 tender engine, Maunsell 350hp DE shunter, LNER J94 tank engine, LNER J88 tank engine and a LMS 2000 class 0-6-4 "Flatiron" tank engine," the owner of the scrap yard said. "Also, 150 open wagons and ten brake-vans, former GNR 20T eight wheel brake vans."

The Fat Controller pondered for a few minutes, then said that he'd come with three engines in the morning to pick up the lot.

"They'll be ready for your arrival," the manager said.

The Fat Controller hung up and made the arrangements for Murdoch, Hank and Henry to come with him and pick up the engines, wagons and brake-vans. With these arrangements, this meant that another engine would have to due Henry's duties. He then checked on the other engines and found Connor was available to handle Henry's duties.

Once all the arrangements were made, the Fat Controller made his way to the yards and found the four engines in the sheds. The Fat Controller told them about the arrangements.

"This ought to take the pressure off of Paxton's axles and buffers," Connor said, once the Fat Controller left.

"Well, hopefully this will work and with a diesel shunter, I hope that things don't end up like they did with Diesel when he came on "upset the yard" trial in 1958," Hank said.

Henry looked at the ground, shamefaced. Connor told him not to worry.

"Unlike Gordon, you actually learned. Gordon didn't and after a stone had punctured his boiler, Gordon refused to be looked over by his crew and ran dry, leaving Thomas to take his train on and having Paxton rescue him," Connor said.

Henry laughed. That was a golden moment. The next day, the three engines were coupled together and the "Light Engine" head code placed on the center of Hank's cowcatcher. They then made their way to the mainland and to the scrap yard, where the engines were handed over to the Fat Controller.

Back at the Blue Mountain Quarry, war was breaking loose. The trucks were playing tricks on Paxton, like slipping their brakes on "Accidentally on Purpose", misleading the little shunter, not telling him that the train was improperly coupled, holding back, running hotboxes and all the usual stunts that the trucks pull.

One day, after the Fat Controller, along with Hank, Murdoch and Henry returned with the engines to be overhauled, the trucks went too far.

Paxton had to arrange some slate trucks for Neville to take to the station near the school. The slate was to be used to mend the platform. Some vandals had stole several slates, but had been caught by the police. With the damage to the platform, this meant that Bertie and his friends had to take the kids to school.

The slate trucks began to sing a cheeky tune after Paxton tried moving the them and a coupling broke, since the trucks had their brakes hard on; and soon the whole quarry was ringing with the sounds of singing and laughing trucks.

"Trucks are waiting in the yard

Tackling them with eas'll

Show the world what I can do

Gaily boasts the diesel

In and out he creeps about

Like a big black weasel

When he pulls the wrong trucks out

POP! Goes the diesel"

James was moving some empty wagons towards Owen to be loaded when he heard the song. This infuriated James as he liked Paxton, who had helped out in the past.

What happened next was unexpected. Paxton was red in the face and glaring at the laughing trucks. Despite his driver's controls, Paxton charged forward and slammed into the loaded trucks, breaking their brakes and sent them flying into a siding. The lead wagon slammed into some steel buffers and due to the momentum and the force, it was smashed to splinters along with the next two trucks.

James was shocked, Bear couldn't believe it and Neville was unsympathetic towards the trucks.

"Served them right," the Q1 said. "Playing those tricks on Paxton would have brought about this reaction. It's their own fault. I'll fetch a crane and some new trucks."

Neville then went about fetching the required items. James pulled the unhurt trucks away and shunted them ready for Bear. Paxton was moved onto track maintenance, which would give him time to cool off. Bear did the shunting at the quarry, leaving James and Neville to take trains to and from the harbour.

"I hope the Fat Controller can sort out this mess and get help here to relieve the stress on Paxton's plate," Bear thought.

For you and I, that is another story.


	3. Aide

Aide

After Paxton's outburst of anger, the trucks quivered in fear whenever the diesel shunter was around. James and Neville handled the trains to the harbour while Bear handled the works trains. This worked well, but the quarry needed permanent locomotives.

At the Steam Restoration Shops at Crovan's Gate, the Fat Controller was watching as the men got the British Railways Standard Class 3 mogul #77015 ready for his first test run while the others were getting the LNER V2 #3676 ready for his boiler test. The other three steam engines were having new parts added or undercoats applied. After thirty minutes of watching the men, he drove to the Diesel Restoration Shops at Vicarstown, where the only diesel shunter he got was being restored.

When he arrived, the Maunsell diesel was being given a shakedown run with some wagons from the yard to Vicarstown station and back again. The Fat Controller was glad that restoration of the engines were coming along. He then drove back to Crovan's Gate, where he saw how the wagon restoration was coming.

Half of the wagons and brake-vans had been restored and were in good working order.

"At least things are looking up," the Fat Controller said.

Back at the quarry, there was more to do every minute. More sidings were being laid, more stone being moved, and the stress level of shunting all the trucks together mounted, and Paxton was on the verge of snapping out.

Bear told Paxton to take a rest, and that he'd handle the shunting. Paxton went to handle some of the work trains to help expand sidings near the gravel chute. Outside the quarry gates, the men were building a shed for the engines and extra storage sidings. Paxton helped them lay new track in the quarry.

Back at the Steam Restoration Shops, the Fat Controller watched as the men finished testing the LMS Ivatt Class 2. However, it'd be another three months before the engines and wagons would be ready.

"That's okay," The Fat Controller said.

After James, Bear and Neville's time at the quarry was up, they were sent back and other engines rotated through, helping out with the shunting, taking trains of stone to the harbour and track maintenance.

The months flew by and one day the six engines were soon repaired and ready for service. The Standard three had red with gold boiler bands, the logo of the Blue Mountain Quarry painted on the tender and on the number 77015 on his cab.

The Maunsell diesel shunter was painted an olive green, with the logo for the quarry on his sides.

The LNER V2 was painted sapphire blue with red stripes. The quarry logo was painted on his tender and the number #3676 was painted on his cab side.

The LMS Ivatt was painted a rich fire orange colour with black stripes. The quarry logo was painted on his tender and on his cab side was the number 46400.

The LMS 2000 class flatiron tank engine was painted in LMS passenger maroon, with the number 2036 on his tanks and the quarry logo on his bunker. He had yellow stripes.

The J94 had a rich black coat, with the number 68054 on the saddle tank, with the quarry logo above the number and centered.

The J88 was painted in a new livery-Blue Mountain Slate blue with black stripes. On his tanks was the number 9844 and above the number was the quarry logo.

Sitting on siding one were 25 former NER 40T bogie coal wagons with the letters 'BMQ' painted in the middle of the wagons, but on the sides and not on the ends.

Siding two held 25 former GCR 30T all steel coal wagons. These, like the NER wagons had the letters 'BMQ' painted in the center of each wagon and on the wagons sides.

Siding three held 25 former BR 20T hoppers. The wagons had a wide top part which narrowed down to chutes on the bottom of the wagon. They, like the others had the logo painted onto the sidewalls, and in the middle of the sidewalls.

Siding four held 25 20T mineral wagons, which the engines were used to seeing. Steel bodied wagons used for transporting coal, ore, slate or any other mineral. On the wagon's sidewalls were painted the logo for the quarry. Like the others, the logo was centered on the sidewalls.

Siding five held 25 32.5T open wagons, used for China Clay before lorries took over delivering dried clay to where it was needed. These wagons had large bodies which narrowed down, but not as much as the BR hoppers. These had the logo in the same place as the other wagons.

Siding six held 25 former LMS 20T hoppers. They had a narrow rim top, which was wide, but the wagon were taller and fifteen inches from the rim, the wagon started to narrow. Like the others they had the quarry's logo and in the same place.

On siding seven were some strange looking wagons. They looked like a shrunk down apartment room with eight wheels. They were specialised wagons called brake-vans, and were even more specific, GNR 20T 8 wheel brake-vans, with each wheel having a set of two brakes. There were ten of them and they, like the trucks and engines had the quarry's logo painted onto their sides.

The shunters and large tank engine marshaled the train and waited. The three tender engines were coupled together with the Ivatt on the point. They were soon moved onto the train and waited for their escort to the quarry junction.

Soon, Bear arrived and surveyed the long train.

"So," Bear said, grinning, "You all ready to start?"

"You're right there," the flatiron tank engine said.

"Fair warning, Paxton's nerves are shot and the trucks are playing their usual games," the hymek warned them. "Do be careful."

The standard three smirked. At the makeshift sheds, the engines were steamed up and the Standard three made his way into the quarry, snorting and billowing steam.

"Just like a dragon," Bear's driver said.

"You're right there," Bear said.

In ten minutes, a long line of stone wagons were brought up by the Standard three.

"Here's your train," he said.

"Definitely a dragon," Bear said.

"Dragon," the Standard three said. "I like it."

"Dragon it is," said his driver.

Soon, Dragon was back in the quarry, collecting loaded trucks and getting them ready to be taken out. Bear had gone with his stone train and the V2 took the freshly prepared train.

Paxton was grateful for the help and with the aide, he could do everything in manageable doses. The other engines helped out. However, for a pompous pacific, a "Dirty goods engine" would end up rescuing his train, but that's another story.


	4. Dragon

Dragon

Dragon is a former British Railways Standard 3 Mogul tender engine numbered 77015. He has outside motion, unlike James, who has coupling rods on the outside and all the motion is on the inside. His paintwork from his former company would have been unlined black, but he gained a red with gold stripe paintwork. On his tender was the logo of the Blue Mountain Quarry.

His job is to take loaded trains from the Blue Mountain Quarry to wherever the stone, slate or gravel was needed. Sometimes, he brings in the workmen's train in the morning when the others are busy or can't be spared.

The reason for his name is that when he arrived at the quarry, he was snorting and billowing smoke like a dragon and the engine crews had jokingly called him Dragon and the name stuck.

The coaches took a liking to him, while the trucks feared him. The reason the trucks fear him is that he looked at them in a threatening way, while they teased Paxton and tried to get him to snap.

"Try me and I'll send you all to the smelters yard in tiny little pieces," he snapped.

Shaking and pale all over, the trucks agreed to not pick on Paxton. The new wagons knew better.

With the expansion at the quarry, the other engines were kept busy fetching this crane and shunting this flatbed of track or getting this four wheel container flat with buffers, Dragon and Paxton were the only engines left in charge of the stone trains to the harbour.

The two engines had worked out a routine that would give both engines a good run and get the loads to wherever they were needed. Paxton would arrange the train and go on the point, and Dragon would take the back, acting as extra braking power and as a banker.

One Monday morning, the large bogie hoppers were loaded with gravel that was needed to help pave a new roadway outside Vicarstown. The new road was to go to the old harbour at Vicarstown, which was also being restored.

The trucks were well behaved, which was a relief. Paxton was on the point and Dragon was coupled behind the brake-van. The wagons were all fitted with vacuum brakes, to help stopping. The brake-van also had special airbrakes, so if there is to be a blockage, the guard can apply the brakes.

However, the men at the works at Crovan's Gate had overlooked one minor thing with the brake-van's brakes. If there is an engine's brake pipe is connected with the brake-van's, then the air pump is turned off. This practice had started on the Other Railway, and it was a way of making trains "safer" but the drawback is that if the engine hasn't got a working ejector and it has it's vacuum pipe connected, the train is running brakeless.

Dragon, however was fitted with a backup ejector, incase his main ejector failed, which would give the crew a fighting chance to stop the train. However, there was one problem that no-one had seen coming. With Paxton running around, it had taken a toll on his brakes, and they only worked intermittently.

To add to the problem, the Quarry was on a hill, giving the trucks an advantage to create a runaway. They called it the "Roller Coaster".

The train was soon moving and making their way down hill. Soon, the train reached a yellow signal, meaning that the signal at the junction would be red. Donald was taking a stopping passenger service to the mainland. They would have to wait until Donald passed.

Paxton's driver applied the brakes, as did Dragon's driver, but the train wasn't slowing down.

"Something's wrong at the point!" Dragon thought in horror.

His driver sensed that something was wrong and jammed the brakes hard on. Dragon went into a slide, wheels locked and screaming along the rails. The trucks' brakes were locked and he managed to control the train, but it was not fully under control.

Steam appeared above the trees and two Caledonian whistles sounded. Douglas was making up for lost time with a goods train that he had rescued from a failed diesel. Donald was also bearing down on the Junction from the Big Station.

Dragon's driver didn't waste time panicking or thinking. He grabbed the regulator handle. Shut regulator-reverser hard over-full steam against the runaway train. The train, at first wasn't slowing, then inch by inch, and foot by foot, Dragon was gaining control. The signalman saw the train was in trouble and set both Donald and Douglas's signals to Danger.

At the base of the hill on the Blue Mountain Quarry line, there is a set of trap points, which helps to derail runaways. These points were installed by the Fat Controller to prevent accidents, but every time a train approached, they would activate against the signalman's will and derail approaching trains.

The men had made it so that the points wouldn't activate when a train approached. A couple of men went out and welded the points "open" to the main line, thusly making it hard for them to be used in case of emergency.

The signalman was now fearing a disastrous accident between Paxton and Donald.

"An unintended consequence by people with good ideas," he groaned with horror.

Dragon's main ejector was pumping out enough air to slow the train, but it wasn't enough to stop the train. His driver reached up to the handle for the secondary ejector, and activated it, locking Dragon's brakes hard on.

The trucks' brakes locked tighter than ever and sparks danced from the wheels.

"Hold them boy!" Dragon's Driver called.

The fireman shoveled for dear life. Steam streamed from his wheels and sparks leapt from his wheels. Then an idea came to the fireman.

"That's it!" he said.

The driver was puzzled, but the fireman was starting to put the fire out. The driver caught on. Without the engine's injector putting on air, the brakes should lock. A shunter had forgotten to join Paxton's vacuum pipe to the trucks. This simple mistake made everything alright.

With Dragon's fire out, the brakes were secured and sliding, the train was slowing down now.

"Desperate times call for desperate measures," the fireman called, over the screaming brakes.

Dragon's driver and fireman reached up for their respective tender brake handles and jammed them hard on. The extra weight managed to slow the train, but still wasn't enough.

Just before the junction, there is a sharp curve and then the points. The mainline from Tidmouth is hidden by bushes and the engines can't see each other until they come round the hedges and then it's emergency application of brakes to prevent accidents.

The coupling was straining and it broke between the 24th and 25th trucks, leaving trucks 25-35 on the rails. Paxton and the front 24 trucks were speeding up. Paxton hit the curve and dragging the trucks with him, they all came off the rails. Two trucks flew in the air and narrowly missed Douglas's front.

The rest of the train came to a stop; but stone, twisted and busted wagons, pretzel bent rails and destroyed sleepers were piled up and everywhere. The mainline was blocked. Dragon shunted the trucks into a siding nearby, and ran back for the cranes up there.

Donald shunted back to the previous station, where his driver phoned for help. Derek brought up the cranes from Tidmouth and Neville brought up the cranes from Vicarstown.

Donald and Douglas put their trains in sidings and helped clean up the mess. Bear had brought up flatbeds and a well wagon for Paxton from Tidmouth. Belle brought up some flatbeds from Norramby.

As the flatbeds were loaded with the damaged wagons, Belle worked on getting them to the works. As soon as Paxton was loaded on the well wagon, Bear took him the Dieselworks, where the Fat Controller was talking to the men there.

"Yes, that should work," the Fat Controller said.

Paxton wondered what the Fat Controller had planned. Back at the accident site, men were relaying the track. Dragon had to wait until everything was done before taking the rest of the train onto Tidmouth.

With Paxton out of service, Dragon did all of Paxton's shunting. The Standard 3 didn't mind. He was only hoping things wouldn't go wrong.


	5. Barry

Barry

While Dragon did all the shunting, another tender engine took his trains to the harbour. The engine was named Barry and is an ex-LMS Ivatt Class 2 2-6-0 tender engine. He had the number 46400 painted on his cabside. His livery is a Fire orange colour with Gold stripes.

He was quite and reserve, only butting in when needed. Barry was the only engine who had prior dealings with Paxton at a harbour on the Other Railway in 1956. The poor engine also had a troubled past.

Once Barry had been rescued and put into service, and found out he was working with Paxton, he had mixed feelings. He remembered how nice Paxton was, but then also remembered that the little diesel took him to the scrap yard after the incident. He has since forgotten the past and worked hard.

His job at the Blue Mountain Quarry is to take loaded trucks to the harbour, then run empty trucks back to the quarry. Often times, Barry takes the workmen home at night if the V2-Stanford, or the Standard 3-Dragon was not available.

If Paxton or one of the other shunting engines isn't available, he'll shunt around the yards. With the Quarry expansion, Dragon brought in workmen to help with laying the rails and building a new site-a slate forming depot; where slate is cut for roofing tiles, cut for chalkboards, pool tables, or other uses.

With the new area opening, this meant that there would soon be trucks of slate that were to be taken to places where it would been turned into the items needed for school, or the pubs, or the station recreation rooms.

Barry didn't mind shunting or odd jobs. However, one day, things changed. With Paxton at the works, this meant the work fell on the rest of the quarry team. As Barry was shunting some wagons of track for the new depot, the quarry master ran over.

"Gordon's cylinder failed on the hill just before the junction for the quarry," he said to the driver. "I need you to rescue the train, as an unscheduled train is due here to the quarry."

"We'll do it right away," said the driver.

Once Barry was uncoupled, he trundled tender first to where the Gresley pacific was standing. He looked up to see the Midland Region tender engine arrive.

"Great, another poor quality engine," he groaned.

"Shove it," Gordon's driver snapped. "You're not on the LNER, so can your rivalry. Or would you like me to tell this to the Fat Controller and have him put you on goods trains for quite some time?"

Gordon stayed silent, in sheer horror. He didn't like goods trains and was all against letting his driver tell the Fat Controller.

Barry was coupled to Gordon and snorted off. To Barry, the train felt as if it wasn't there. Gordon was impressed. Barry soon arrived at Barrow five minutes late. Gordon was shunted off the train and as there was no time to turn Barry around, he ran the Express tender first.

Arriving at the Big Station, he then ran round the coaches and after the passengers disembarked, he shunted them to the carriage depot. As the Ivatt trundled to the yards to collect a train of quarry equipment, a haunted look came into his eyes.

"How will I forget that?" he thought, as a tear slipped down his eye.


	6. Stanford

Stanford

The final tender engine that works at the Blue Mountain Quarry is Stanford. He is an Ex-LNER V2 #3676. He is painted Sapphire Blue. On his middle wheel splashier is a name board reading "The Durham Light Infantry". He wears the #3676 on his cabside.

His job is to bring workmen into the quarry and take them home when their shifts end and bring in the men who's shifts were beginning. Sometimes, he would run extra trains if the quarry produced more slate at an odd time, when either the engine that was meant to take the train is on another train or taking on fuel.

Depending on what is going on at the quarry, Stanford will shunt if needed or help run empty stone trains to the quarry. With the expansion, Stanford was bringing in workmen, tools, rails, cranes and wagons to haul the rubble away.

"Doesn't bother me," he thought. "I like the work."

His driver never understood why Stanford would do such dirty work, when the rest of his class either preferred coaches or trucks that carried only clean goods; such as toys, glass, food, clothes or other goods people needed.

Stanford, however liked taking the dirty goods trains as it gave him a sense of being a working steam engine.

One morning, Stanford was being readied when the quarry master came up to him.

"I need you to bring in coal and fuel for the new fueling depot that was built near where the sheds are being finished," the quarry master said. "This way, all engines, of standard and narrow gauge have a place to take on coal, water or diesel fuel."

"Logical," Stanford said. His driver agreed.

"At least there won't be any confusion of where all the fueling sites are," the V2's driver said. "I know some crews who have worked at quarries, where fueling depots are scattered throughout the quarry."

The quarry master nodded. Soon, the V2 was away to collect the train from Vicarstown station.

At Vicarstown, Den was shunting three barrier vans onto the front and back of the train of coal wagons and fuel tankers. Barrier vans are vans that are put at the front and back of trains of flammable goods trains, except for coal trains. They provide an extra few minutes for the guard, the crew and the engine to get away from the burning wagons if the wagons are on fire and also to give the fire fighting crews uninterrupted firefighting space.

"Morning, Den," Stanford puffed as he backed onto the train.

"Morning, Stanford," the diesel hydraulic shunter said. "How's expansion going?"

"Coming along faster than expected," Stanford said. "There's been a lot more stone coming from the quarry."

"Really?" Den asked.

"Yes indeed. Paxton and the other shunters are rushed around, shunting trucks that are scattered through the yard at the quarry. Many of the workmen say that the shunters are like mice scurrying around for cheese," the V2 tender engine said.

Den and Stanford laughed until Stanford's guard blew his whistle and waved his green flag. Stanford steamed way, whistling his goodbye to Den and his hello to Gordon, who was coming into Vicarstown with an express service.

Stanford ran through the countryside, the trucks humming contently behind him. The train soon reached the points and climbed the roller coaster. Soon, he reached the fueling depot and soon the fuel and coal were transferred to coal bunkers and the fuel tanks.

As Paxton shunted the trucks to another siding, Rusty rolled in to take on fuel. Stanford was moved onto the turntable and was turned around to take a train of stone to Ulfstead Castle for a walkway that was being put in.

He was coupled to the train and steamed away. The large V2 was out on the main line and making his way to the main line junction to Ulfstead Castle. At noon, the day clouded over and fifteen minutes later, a torrential downpour struck him by surprise.

The heavy rains were starting to wash away ballast and dangle the line like tightropes over holes, some four feet deep. The V2 was trying to stay ahead of the washout areas. However, there was something that was going to catch the V2 and his crew off guard.

One of the lines heading up the steep hill towards the castle was listing or one side of the track was sinking while the other is level, which is perfect for tipping any train at any speed. Sometimes the listing side of the line will often bring a section of the line down with the train.

All crews hate it and hate running 'wrong road' or on the down line to the junction from the castle, then run on the line from the junction to the castle, as it wastes time to change lines and hold all trains going down to the junction while the other train changes back to the normal line. Sometimes platelayers will walk up and down the line and make a report to the signalman, who makes the appropriate changes to the schedule and then report the problem to control who would send men out to repair the line.

Today was different. The signalman was a relief as the main signalman had stayed home, sleeping after tending to his ill son. The platelayers were walking up and down the line, but didn't get any farther because of the torrential rains. That had made it hard for the men to carrying on with their duties.

These events would conspire against Stanford. As the V2 made his way to a signal, it was at Danger. His driver stopped the train and his fireman lit a lamp and put the lamp on his lampiron, in hopes that it'd help them see.

However, the light didn't provide much light and the train had to crawl along the mainline. The signalman hadn't set the points for Stanford's train as he hadn't checked the schedule in his box. Soon a shrill V2 whistle ripped through the pouring rain, startling the signalman, who jerked a lever.

Unbeknownst to him, the jerk improperly set the points. Stanford was trying to control the train and having little success. Suddenly, he felt his drive wheels leaving the rails and bouncing over the points. His driver slammed on the brakes and Stanford came to a stop halfway into a muddy meadow, with four trucks off the track.

"That's torn it," The driver groaned. "How are we…"

He was interrupted by a deep Stanier whistle. Henry was snorting up the line behind Stanford. The ex-LMS Black Five was in a desperate bid to make up for lost time due to a delayed "guaranteed connection" at the Big Station with Duck's passenger service and again with Daisy at the junction, both were held up by late passengers at stations along their respective lines.

The green liveried Stanier engine's train was half full and all the passengers were in the rear five coaches out of the thirteen he was hauling. His driver was a relief and was known for taking chances and risking countless lives to make up for lost time.

Normally, it wouldn't be a problem as there would be clear skies and the sections would be clear, but today it was different. The torrential rains and cloudy skies were giving the engine and his crew trouble.

As the train charged down Gordon's Hill, the driver missed a Danger Signal, but the fireman had noticed. Acting quickly, he locked up Henry's brakes, but the excessive rains had made the rails slippery, even with the sanders at full, the train was still going too fast.

Coming round a blind curve, there was the brake-van's tail light from Stanford's train. Henry shut his eyes. The guard of Stanford's train was in the signal box when an explosive sound ripped through the air.

There was a metallic screaming, tearing noise, followed by a wood splintering crunching and ripping noise, then a stone crunching and a bang.

Henry had smashed into Stanford's train at fifty five miles an hour. The front five coaches were written off and the other eight were on the track, coaches six and seven off the rails, but upright.

The majourity of Stanford's trucks and load of stone was completely wrecked. The steel body bogie hoppers were crumpled and flattened off like freshly rolled tin. The other trucks and Stanford were shoved further in the mud and grass.

Henry's front was totally mangled, his buffer beam ripped off and lodged in a wagon frame. His smoke box was bent and his boiler split in half.

IT was some weeks later when the weather backed off that the rescue could commence. James had rescued the passengers and taken the train on. Workmen, along with Harvey and the breakdown train were busily placing damaged wagons on flatbeds that had been brought up by Connor. Hank had brought up a couple of well wagons-one for Henry and one for the green engine's tender.

Hank had returned and set to the task of hauling the undamaged wagons and Stanford to the rails. With eighteen of the 35 wagons Stanford was hauling undamaged and the goods still in them, it was hard going, even on the temporary rails the men set. The weight of the trucks caused the track to sink. Soon, the wagons were taken up to the castle by Caitlin while Hank and even Connor struggled to pull the stuck in the mud Stanford out.

It was tough going, and they eventually needed an extra engine to haul Stanford out. Caitlin was soon back, Light engine and was tasked with helping rescue the V2.

With three engines, it was slightly easier. Men were digging the mud away and cleaning it out of Stanford's motion. The work was tiring, but they had the V2 back on solid rails and Hank took him to the wash down and the works.

It was some time before Stanford was released, but Henry was in the works for a complete rebuild.

Life was certainly bad, but the quarry engines were too occupied to handle the main line issues.


	7. Jacobson

Jacobson

Jacobson is a little diesel shunter, similar to Paxton and Sidney in build, but his cab has some overhang, which helped protect crews. He wore an olive green livery and the quarry logo in the centre of the engine casing.

He had an air of hard and dedicated worker around him. That was respected by the other engines.

It had been several months after the collision in the rain between Henry and Stanford. Henry's relief driver was sent to hospital due to some broken bones, and was relieved as a driver for his dangerous stunt.

Jacobson had to do Stanford's work as well as his own while Stanford covered Henry's duties. The quarry was going to be down one engine. Nothing ever came easy. Jacobsen was not used to dealing with so many noisy trucks.

"This is going to cause trouble for you," his driver said.

"Not really," Jacobson said. "I've got a plan."

His driver was skeptical. Jacobson then said that if he arranged smaller trains and took them in batches, then he could do more deliveries and not tire out as quickly. His driver agreed and they moved off with small lots of trucks while the other engines busied themselves with other work.

Soon he arrived at Ulfstead Castle with part of the make up load of stone. After he was uncoupled, he was run back down to the quarry in reverse and buffered up to the rest of the trucks and was away in five minutes flat.

Luckily there was no trouble on the journey. As Jacobson arrived at Ulfstead Castle, Stephen was moving some empty wagons into a siding. Millie was waiting on her narrow gauge siding to collect some goods from James's train.

Stephen soon moved the wagons to the front of Jacobson and a brake-van was coupled to the train, and was soon sent on his way. There's a crossing outside of the junction leading onto the up and down lines from the Castle. It was put in to allow goods to be transferred up the Castle by the Narrow Gauge Estate Railway.

Trains heading into the transfer yard have to give priority to the trains coming down off the hill line to the Castle as the wagons would force the engine down, despite the engine having it's brakes on.

Jacobson's driver was keeping the diesel shunter's brakes on, and the guard had the brakes in his van set to allow for quick stops. James was waiting for Jacobson to cross, so he could make his delivery and head back for his next train.

Jacobson was crawling down, trying to keep the trucks in check. Once the brake van was on the flat, the guard released the brakes and the driver opened the diesel shunter's regulator wider and cleared the cross track, allowing James to make his delivery.

The diesel shunter made his way back to the quarry with the empty wagons. Once he returned to the quarry, he set to work shunting trucks for Stanford's train. The V2 was away to the mainland with a delivery of slate, gravel, slate rubble, shale, and slab slate.

However, the trucks at the gravel chute were rather old and were needing to be sent to the scrap heap as they were beyond repair. The wheels were rusted to the frames, locking them solid. Once the diesel shunter was coupled to the trucks and tried to shunt them, there was a crunch and several wagons disappeared, with wood and metal littering the side of the line.

"That wasn't meant to happen," Jacobson squeaked.

"It wasn't meant to happen, but it did," said the driver getting down to inspect. "No wonder they turned into kindling. They were old and in need of being broken up. The wheels rusted to the frames, locking them solid."

Soon, Paxton came in with the breakdown train. He had retuned from the works and was as good as new. Gordon arrived with some flatbeds to take the other wagons to the breakers yard. He grumbled about it until he saw the accident, then he started laughing.

"First Douglas, then Oliver, then Duck and now you, Jacobson. The Fat Controller will like this indeed," Gordon guffawed.

Jacobson was feeling quite small, but the quarry master came to see him after Henry left.

"It wasn't your fault," he said. "Diesel was meant to take them away when he came to help out here when the quarry opened, but since he spent his time targeting Luke and destroying Thomas's friendly relations with the Skarloey Railway engines, he never took them to the breakers yard."

Jacobson felt better, but the other engines would never let him forget it. The other new engines were busy with the workload


	8. Timothy

Timothy

Timothy is a LNER J94, painted in a rich black livery with the No. 68054 painted on the sides of his saddle tank, and painted above it is the quarry logo.

He was the type of tank engine who could handle anything. With the quarry expansion, he was put in charge of the gravel chutes, with Jacobson taking up the job of shunting trucks to and from Owen. Paxton was working at a new slate depot, where slate was made for domestic use. The other small tank engine worked the stone cutters shed, where slab slates were turned into sheet slate and loaded into the trucks. The larger tank engine marshaled trains.

One morning, the quarry was busier than ever. Stone was coming down from the upper terraces and the trucks were needed everywhere. Since Henry was still at the Works, Barry and Dragon still were rotating in and out of the quarry, which didn't help.

The Fat Controller was making arrangements and got Connor to cover Henry's trains, allowing Dragon and Barry more time to handle the work at the quarry. Timothy was shunting wagons over at the gravel chute, which was made from shale rubble. Luke and Skarloey were running cargo to the Steam hammer, where the shale was crushed to gravel.

Timothy was soon running to and fro with loaded and empty trucks. The other shunters were busily moving their trucks around, but the J94 didn't have time to notice.

Throughout the quarry, there are cross tracks where both the narrow and standard gauge trains cross to get deeper into the quarry or to get to the outside. With the quarry being busier than the Big Station at Christmas time, near misses and collisions were at an all time high.

With the shunters running backwards, their crews couldn't see the narrow gauge engines. With the engines hurrying here, there and everywhere; there were left loads and half full trucks all around the yard, and the other engines moved those trucks around the yards to be loaded

However, the normal practice of mice scurrying around would end in tears.

One cold July morning, Timothy was collecting loaded slate rubble wagons. They had been loaded during the night, with Owen and the night crew. They worked through the night to make sure the wagons were loaded for the morning trains.

Timothy was coupled to the wagons, backwards. His crew would be occupied with the operating of the engine and control of the trucks. Timothy would also be occupied of trying to make sure his trucks don't try tricks.

Luke, meanwhile, was running late and speeding to make up for lost time. With that on his mind, he wasn't paying attention, and neither was his crew.

With the extra trucks that Luke was bringing in with his general goods, it made braking harder. The guard's van's brakes were weak and unable to hold the train. Luke's driver set Luke's brakes and began to slow the train too slowly.

Timothy was making his way from Owen's loading platform with twelve loaded trucks. The J94's driver was occupied with operating the locomotive. They hadn't noticed Luke coming in until they heard a deep Kerr Stuart whistle.

"GLORY!" Timothy's driver yelped.

Grabbing the brakes, his driver locked them hard. Luke's driver locked the Wren's brakes hard, but it was too late.

Timothy's rear right buffer had connected with Luke's tank. The Wren was thrown from the rails and stopped violently. Timothy was knocked from the rails as well. The trucks were thrown from the rails as well. Two of Timothy's trucks were knocked over and several of Luke's trucks were over and piled up in a pile of broken metal and wood, with some rivets.

There was dust and some shouting as workmen arrived in droves. Jacobson brought up some cranes to help put the two engines on the rails and put the damaged and destroyed trucks into some empty wagons to be broken up. Luke's tank was dented and his undercarriage was bent.

Dragon brought up a well wagon to put Luke on. Once the Wren was secured, The Standard Three took Luke to the works. Timothy's right buffer was bent up. Even though it was damaged, Timothy could still work, but he needed a new buffer soon.

The other engines, minus James would be dropping this subject rather quick.


	9. Alexis

Alexis

Alexis is a J88 class tank engine. He is painted Blue Mountain Slate blue with black stripes. On his tanks was the number 9844 and above the number was the quarry logo.

He helps to shunt the trucks when the other engines are busy with other duties. Alexis often times run small trains of swing shift quarry workers or mechanics to look over the machines. His main place of work is the stone cutter's depot, where blocks of slate are turned into sheets of slate.

One morning, after all the madness from the mainline and the weather had sorted itself out, Alexis was moving some trucks over to the small marshalling yards. There, he met Jacobson, who was getting prepared to move trucks around the yards. There was a large tank engine who was having steaming trouble.

"What's up with Reginald?" the J88 asked the Maunsell shunter.

"Poor firebed," Jacobson said. "I'm to handle his work while his crew and some firelighters get him up and puffing."

Alexis understood. Many engines after the Other Railway started using diesels were not kept in proper repair. However, poor firebeds were common thing on steam engines.

Alexis went about shunting trucks at the quarry. The wagons were playing their usual tricks and getting under Alexis's paintwork.

Finally, the trucks went too far and Alexis gave the trucks a firm bump. The bump was a little too firm and the eighth truck rode up on the seventh truck. The seventh wagon fell apart and the eighth truck tipped over and the stone from both wagons were spilled all over the yard.

"That wasn't meant to happen," Alexis gulped.

Alexis's driver sighed and went for help. Soon, Jacobson arrived with a crane and a wagon for the damaged trucks. Alexis left to fetch two trucks to make up for the damaged wagons and the damaged loads.

Once the loads were put back in the trucks and the trucks moved into a siding out of the way, Alexis marshaled some trucks for Dragon to take to Tidmouth. The J88 then moved the train to outbound siding four.

When Dragon arrived, Alexis scurried away to arrange a gravel train for Barry. Once the trucks were filled, he moved them to outbound siding two. He shunted around the quarry, making sure all the trains were ready and that trucks that needed to be loaded were in the right sidings.

"Tiring work," the little J88 puffed tiredly.

The little engine worked around the clock and had more trucks loaded.

"Blimey," he thought. "At least I don't have to arrange trucks into trains."

That was for the bigger tank engine.


	10. Reginald

Reginald

The last shunting engine at the Blue Mountain Quarry was Reginald. He is a LMS 2000 class flatiron tank engine was painted in LMS passenger maroon, with the number 2036 on his tanks and the quarry logo on his bunker. He had yellow stripes.

His job at the quarry is to arrange trains of stone that need to get to the harbour or wherever they are needed.

The reason for Reginald preparing the trains, is because the smaller engines have to shunt trucks at their designated depots. Also, many of the smaller tank engines couldn't handle marshalling longer trains as the heavier trucks would tire them out quicker.

One cold morning, Reginald was being steamed up when the quarry master came to see him.

"I need you to arrange a train of gravel for Dragon to take to the bandstand at Great Waterton, seeing as the previous gravel walkway had been washed away," he said.

Reginald agreed and once he was fully steamed up, he set about shunting the trucks needed. It took him some time as the trucks were scattered throughout the marshalling yards at the front of the quarry.

The train was soon ready and Dragon was backed onto the train. Reginald had left to arrange another train, this time for Stanford to take to the harbour at the Big Station. The large shunting engine was busy throughout the day.

The smaller wagons didn't hassle him as they were afraid he'd break them to pieces. However, at lunch time, Dragon returned with empty trucks.

"These are needed for stablising a bank of one of the rivers on Misty Island," the Standard 3 puffed.

Reginald set to work, moving the trucks to the sidings, where the other smaller engines would collect them and take them to be loaded. Alexis and Timothy were already working on the train and had the trucks back at the marshalling yard in two and a half hours later, having to wait for Luke to bring shale over to the steam hammer, which crushed the shale into gravel, which was loaded into the trucks.

Once Reginald was ready, he shunted the trucks onto a brake-van and moved the train onto outbound siding number one. Then it happened…Reginald's wheels slipped as he tried move the wagons and there was a sudden build up of pressure.

The driver opened the blow valves, to release the excess steam and to bring all the pressure readings back to normal.

Unluckily, the minute the blow valves were open, there was a loud pop and a wheeesh!

The fireman looked up and saw that the safety valve had burst.

"Bother and Blow!" he growled. "That had to tear it!"

Reginald was hauled to the works by Barry while Paxton and Jacobson set to work doing the flatiron's work.

Soon, he returned from the works and his crew were careful not to blow his safety valve in the future.


	11. A Haunted Engine

A Haunted Engine

Barry the Ivatt tender engine was hiding something. The other engines noticed that it was affecting his work ethic. He was sluggish and bumped the trucks roughly when he backed onto the train for the harbour.

"Oh! Oh! Oh! Oh!" screamed the trucks.

"Shut up!" he barked and jerked roughly forward.

"He's never been like this before," Luke called down to the others.

"You're right there, Luke," Reginald called back. "It's like he's lost in the past."

Later, during lunch, the engines were talking.

"If I were you," Skarloey said "I'd take it up with the Fat Controller."

But the Fat Controller had other things on his mind. That was not going to work at all. Meanwhile, Barry was sulky. His fire was not as strong as the fireman would have liked it and he banged the empty trucks for a return train. The sea, the air and the bird calls were making the problem worse.

"Not so rough!" snapped the trucks.

Barry glared at them and treated them roughly. His driver was concerned.

"This is out of the normal routine," the driver said to the fireman.

The fireman agreed and soon, Barry was ready and left the harbour quickly. The driver was hoping this would work.

Back at the Quarry, the other engines were noticing that Barry wasn't the only engine acting odd. Paxton was also very quite and scuttling away whenever another engine wanted to ask him why.

Things began to add up for the other engines. One night, while Stanford and Dragon were sitting in the sheds at the Big Station. The other engines noticed they were lost in thought. Finally, BoCo interrupted the thought of the two quarry stabled tender engines.

"Something on your mind?" the Metrovick asked.

"Barry and Paxton," Stanford said. "Something is haunting them."

Dragon had his eyes closed. Bear noticed this and after a five minutes, the Standard 3 mogul opened his eyes.

"Guys, I want to tell you why Barry and Paxton are this way," he said. "I was stabled in the Southern Region along with them."

"Since when were Midland Ivatts stabled in the Southern Region?" Henry asked.

"Since the war," Dragon said. "Anyway, this is after the war and the 08 diesel shunters were coming into service. Paxton's original number was 08 254, and Barry was 46400."

The engines listened to Dragon's story.

_It was 1959 and Barry was taking a goods train to the harbour at South Hampton. His fireman was someone who liked steam engines and treated Barry like a son._

_His driver was a different story all together-violent, drunk and always causing disruptions to the schedules. He never liked engines and his manners were something else. The driver preferred diesels and hated all steam traction._

_One November day, Barry was tasked with taking a mixed goods train of thirty-five wagons to the harbour tender first. The driver was late and had been drinking again._

_Once in the cab, Barry's driver opened the regulator and Barry was out of the yard, wheels slipping and struggling to grip the rails. His driver was becoming more and more abusive with the words as the train flew along._

_Now, the train was to go on siding four, but due to some shunting maneuvers, the points were set for siding two. The men were busy with other work and forgot about the points. I was waiting to take a fast goods to King's Cross._

"_Driver, those points aren't right," I told my old driver and he told the shunter._

_Before the shunter could change the points, Barry arrived, earlier than normal._

_His fireman was reaching for the brakes to bring the train to a controlled stop, but the driver slammed a fist into the fireman's right eye and sent the fireman tumbling from the cab at around 35 miles per hour. He struck his head on a wagon. He had to retire from his injury. _

_The driver continued on. The shunters were setting the brakes and snapped the coupling between trucks five and six, leaving the rest on the rails. Barry and the point five wagons plunged into the sea and the driver was pulled clear after the crash died down. Paxton was the shunting diesel that worked that harbour and was the engine who took Barry to Barry Island Scrap yard after he was hauled from the ocean and deemed _'damaged beyond repair'. _ Soon he was transferred to another scrap yard along with me, Stanford and the other engines at the quarry."_

The other engines were in several different states of disbelief. Finally, Pip spoke up.

"I think that we should help when needed," she said.

The other engines agreed. Barry was on the engines' mind. He needed to heal and fast. The other engines knew that any wounds left open, even from years long since past, would impact the work ethic.

Henry took it upon himself to help correct the problem. There had been a slow down of work at the Quarry and the other engines were able to help out. One cold morning, there was a double extra load of fish added to the Kipper, meaning that two engines were needed on the point end of the goods train.

There had been a slow down of work at the quarry and the quarry master sent Barry to help out on the main line. At least the long runs should clear the Ivatt's smoke box.

Barry made his way to the harbour, where he saw a large green Black Five waiting.

"You must be Henry," Barry puffed.

"I am," Henry said. "You must be Barry."

"Correct," he said.

"Turn around and settle at the head of the train," Henry said. "Then let's get puffing."

Barry turned around on the harbour turntable and was soon coupled to the train and the two engines got the heavy train moving.

Once out in the countryside, Henry carefully brought up Barry's past and allowed Barry to ventilate to Henry about how he was treated.

"Just be grateful you have friends who care," Henry said as they charged at Gordon's Hill, Whistling to a passing train.

Barry agreed and they finished the run in record time. After that day, Barry was less closed off. He became more friendly, let his past go and moved into the future. However, what no-one realised was that Barry's future was about to be changed forever more.


End file.
